This had to be one of my proudest moments of being a rock photographer. I go way back with these guys…we are family. I received a phone call from Gloria Cavalera telling me that Max and Igor were back together and going into the studio…and they wanted me with them to snap away and document the whole thing. I had been waiting for this call for a long, long time.

This was the birth of The Cavalera Conspiracy.

This was the very first official photo of Max and Igor together as band-mates since Sepultura disbanded. I shot this set-up of Max and Igor for Revolver Magazine. The mag was just as excited as I was…they ran this photo as a full page. Well deserved!

As my friendship with Max Cavalera continued, it brought me close with another musician whom I had admired greatly, Alex Newport. Fudge Tunnel was one of those bands that completely blew me away when I first heard them – much like Sepultura did. Alex’s guitar playing greatly influenced the way I played guitar and the way I wrote songs. When Max told me that he and Alex were collaborating on a project, I knew that it was going to be one of the most original and incredibly inspired Cds that would come out in my lifetime.

Max called me and told me that he wanted to fly me into Phoenix so I could shoot some publicity and album photos of him and Alex. Max wasn’t really sure what he wanted in the photos, he just knew that he wanted something different, not your standard “stand in front of the camera and look pissed off” photos.

I got to Phoenix a few hours early and hooked up with my buddy Bobby to scout locations. Bobby was attending school out there, so he knew where to find what I was looking for. We stumbled across The Sun Club, a popular night club that had just recently burned down. I thought it was perfect. At the time, they were still calling the project Elephantitis Of The Scrotum. Prior to the shoot, Max had played me some of the new songs and told me about and described its hostile soul. I felt that I could really pull something cool off in this burned down club. I called Max and told him where to find me.

As Max and Alex walked into the destroyed venue, I could tell they were not really sure about this. They were worried that I was going to make them stand in the middle of a demolished room and look like a couple of bad-asses. I tore two pieces of fabric from a black backdrop I had brought with me and told them that I wanted to create a Vietnam-POW vibe. As I asked them to trust me, I blindfolded each of them and moved and placed them where I wanted them…never showing them any of the Polaroid tests until the end.

When they saw the samples I shot, they were blown away. It was exactly what Max and Alex needed to complete the package. And the rest is history.

(These photos and many others now available for sale. Email: IamKevin@fairwarning.com)

I was a huge Sepultura fan when I first hooked up with the band in 1988 on their first U.S. tour. Luckily their broken English was not a barrier – the band and I quickly developed a strong and lasting friendship that continues to this day. My connection with Max was very strong as he welcomed me into his home and private life. I spent a few weekends at his home, photographed him and Gloria as they received matching tattoos in their living room, and I was honored to photograph Max and Gloria’s wedding.

I received a phone call from Max, he had amazing news – Max was going to be a father. I was so proud and happy for Max and Gloria…almost as excited as they were. Nine months later I received another phone call…Max and Gloria wanted to fly me to Phoenix so I could shoot the first photos of newly born Zyon Cavalera and his family.

When I arrived, I felt so much love and joy in the house. I had never seen Gloria smile so much in my life, and Max was so proud. All of the other kids in the family, no matter their age, were just as excited about the new addition to the family. Max and I practically stayed up the entire night, talking, watching movies, eating junk food – just two friends catching up. The birth of Zyon really gave Max a new perspective on the world, his life and his music. He seemed much more focused and much more determined to take over the world.

The next morning I set up a nine-foot seamless backdrop in their living room and marched the proud parents in. Zyon was so alert and so cooperative, it was beautiful. I had never really dealt with kids before, let alone a baby that was only a few weeks old. At one point, Max got inspired and grabbed a sharpie and wrote “ZYON” across his knuckles. I told him to stick it out towards me while he held on to little Zyon. Max loved the word “ZYON’ written across his knuckles so much that a few days later he went and had his son’s name permanently tattooed on to his fingers.

The shot was magic…it turned out to be our favorite. The image really seemed to capture the strength and power that Max possesses yet it also showed the soft, fatherly side that Max was just beginning to discover.